The problem with looking for dance clubs that cater to a 40-something crowd is that the core market for nightclubs will always be the 19 to 25 demographic, so there are few establishments who will want to gamble on targeting the much smaller market of older partiers. Outside of the downtown core there are plenty of bars focusing more on the 40-something crowd, but they mainly book classic rock cover bands, which doesn’t generally make for a wild dance party. Having said that, there are a few downtown venues that specialize in mainstream music for a mature crowd. Crocodile Rock (240 Adelaide West) has been around forever, and tries to attract a 25+ crowd. You should be warned though that it does have a reputation as a destination for cougar hunters (ie. younger men looking for older women), and is also well known for stagettes. Another option that’s been around in various forms for years is the Devil’s Martini (473 Adelaide West), although we can’t guarantee that you won’t run into wild college kids mixed in with the older professionals. If you’re willing to party alongside the youngsters, you have far more options available, which you can browse through in the NOW Magazine music listings: http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/listings/

The easiest way to find out about salsa events is to go to our online music listings and search for "salsa", as we’ve done in this link: http://now.uz/zVD6bp

It’s absolutely free to list your concert or DJ night in NOW Magazine’s music listings. All you have to do is send the information to music@nowtoronto.com, and be sure to include the date of the event, the names of the performers, the name of the event (if there is one), the venue, the genre(s) of music, cover charge (and/or ticket information), and what time the doors open. Be sure to send in the information as early as possible, as listings will be added to our database as we receive them, and will appear on our website. The deadline for submissions to make it into the weekly print edition is 5 pm Thursday (one week before the issue you need it in), but on long weekends that deadline usually gets bumped back earlier.

There are hundreds of Toronto bars and lounges that could meet your first three criteria, but if you’re looking for live jazz that does narrow the field somewhat. The Reservoir Lounge has been hosting live swing music, blues and jazz since 1997, and will happily hook you up with some tapas and fancy cocktails. If you’re looking further east, you might want to check out the Dominion On Queen, which is more casual than the Reservoir Lounge, and features a wider variety of music (including regular rockabilly nights, ukulele jams and cabaret nights. On the west end of the city, Reposado is a cozy little bar that hosts a variety of live and DJed music, and specializes in good tequila (none of that gasoline stuff you need to choke down with salt and a lemon). And for folkier tunes and a full dinner menu, Hugh’s Room is a Toronto institution for roots music, jazz, blues and country. These are just starting points of course - check out NOW’s music listings for a wide selection of nightlife options.

First step is getting the album to us ahead of the release date. Mailing or dropping off a disc to the office is fine, but you can also send download links to the NOW’s music editor at benjaminb@nowtoronto.com. Ideally, get us both a physical disc and a download link.
The next step is making sure we know about any Toronto shows you might be playing, so make sure you email music@nowtoronto.com with your listing information as soon as you have it locked down.
Keep in mind that we receive far more music each week than we have any hope of reviewing in the paper, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t get immediate results. If you’re a local independent band, your best bet to get some attention is to be playing regular gigs that we can plug with an album review.

Technically, you do need to obtain a permit from the City of Toronto to perform on the sidewalk, but unlike the TTC, you do not need to audition, and the permit only costs $40 a year. Some street performers don’t bother going through the official channels, but they risk fines much larger than the yearly permit cost. Once you have a permit, you may find that you’ll need to negotiate and share space with competing buskers, as it doesn’t help anyone for two musicians to be playing different songs right beside each other.

The custom of the audience rising to their feet during Hallelujah originates from a story of King George II doing so during the original London premiere. However, this account is now believed to be a myth, as there is actually no proof that he ever attended the premiere, or for that matter, any later performances.